Perhaps you’ve tried the latest on-demand food delivery service in Nashville – UberEATS! It’s advertised essentially as the Uber for your food – however the Uber drivers that are delivering your food are NOT pleased with being tasked to have your dinner and drinks as their passenger. When you order, you pay a booking fee of $4.99, and then you usually pay an additional surge fee if the area is busy, and of course that’s in addition to the cost of your food(Including any ‘togo’ surcharge or mandatory tip from the restaurant) – so it’s not a cheap option for the customer – however it’s the drivers that seem to be the most upset. Here’s what the drivers are saying about the program – AND Nashville customers.

#1 – Tipping is NOT expected or required

No tips, per UberEATS FAQ, however the drivers are certainly expecting tips, and most are even making customers meet them at the curb as ‘punishment’ for the expectation of not being tipped. Cedric Burns posts below about how he is pissed off because customers are following the Uber policy that tips are not expected. Jennifer Love goes as far as to say that customers are too lazy to get out and then not tip, so she refuses to even accept an UberEATS order, calling the customers “cheapos”.

What’s Uber’s official policy? “Tips aren’t included and they aren’t expected or required. You can always rate your experience after you order.“

#2 – Uber will bring the food to your door – do NOT let your driver con you into curbside service.

You are paying a delivery fee, in addition to a possible surge fee, to have that food brought to your doorstep or up to your office (not left in the lobby or meet you at the street) – However many UberEats drivers tell the customer otherwise, and make them meet in the lobby or IN THE STREET, which is against the UberEats policy. You are paying for the service, you should receive it. Here’s a recent conversation from an UberEATS driver, Dwight Stambaugh Jr., who delivered to the ICON building in the Gulch. Despite the policy of delivering to your door, multiple drivers such as Theresa Thigpen stated that the customer was supposed to meet the driver in the lobby or curbside. Tony Partida went as far as to characterize these customers as so privileged that you have to “bring it to their apartment, feed it to them, then clean up after”.

Jeff Clayton reinforced the incorrect information saying that if they don’t meet him at the curb within 5 minutes, it goes to the trash, customer pays a ‘noshow’ fee, and he goes about his day – which is the exact opposite of the official policy, which is a 10 minute wait AT THE DOOR, not the curb:

Here’s the what the UberEATS FAQ says about delivering to your door: “Your courier will bring your order right to your door.“

Here is the driver/courier’s manual on how to properly complete an UberEATS delivery, including the 10 minute waiting time:

So, it’s a game of roulette for UberEATS Nashville – will you get one of the couriers above, or one that properly delivers your food? You might think that it would just be easier to order a regular Uber to take you to a drive-thru and avoid the possible headaches above, right? You’d be in even worse luck in Nashville. Despite the driver getting paid for the time they wait in a drive-thru and other places, most drives refuse to stop for fast food in Nashville, or will end the trip and require you to get a new driver for your trip home – or even tell you that you have to buy them food, too, in order for them to stop. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? Here’s what the Nashville Uber Drivers say about taking you to a drive-thru:

14 Comments

So at. 10 a minute if the driver waits an hour he made $6 because the fare would be on the next hour so you are okay with printing a publication encouraging a practice that gets people paid sub minimum wage? Not including the fact that the driver must then pay fuel, taxes, maintenance etc out of that same $6 in that hour. Have a heart please. The only reason Uber drivers lash out so to speak is because for some it is the only way they can find to make money, they are independent contractors who cannot negotiate their own pay. You should feel pity.

Where I am at, it is curbside. That means the customer is supposed to come out and get the food, so the driver does not have to waste 20 minutes trying to enter in a code and find a parking. Drivers don’t get paid that much. Uber takes out 35% of their earnings, too. If a driver does not make two trips an hour, it is not worth it. Unless a person is handicapped, they need to come out and get the food. If you want someone to deliver food to your door, try Postmates. There are other food delivery services out there. Do the research. It seems like people take advantage that they do not have to tip; and they figure they might as well send the driver to the door too, which cuts their potential earning for the day.

Okay but then where is that info for the customer man? Maybe somewhere on the UberEATS site but if so I certainly missed it. If they are advertising a service that they don’t actually provide that’s the companies fault. But if you as a driver just don’t think it’s fair, then it’s your fault for working for the company not the consumers fault.

If curbside is the policy in your area then it better well be advertised as such somewhere the consumer can see it. If you want tips don’t work for a company that states that it’s not expected of consumers cause since we are looking for the best deal we are going to take that at face value.

CHEAPSKATE who not only thinks it’s O.K. to not tip and obviously loves the “NO- TIP POLICY” so much, that he takes it upon himself to educate and encourage other CHEAPSKATES. Probably eats at fast food restaurants to avoid tipping there too! COME TO THE CURB CHEAPSKATE OR GO GET YOURSELF!

Okay, well these drivers are really dumb to be expecting free food from the passenger if they take them to a fast food joint. I’ve taken one person to a fast food joint and never asked for anything. He asked me if I wanted some food, but I declined. I don’t expect food from a passenger who chose to go to a fast food on their route. You shouldn’t expect that.

You’re driving to serve them, they are your guest. They aren’t required to serve you. Have these people ever worked a customer service job before? When I worked at Taco Bell for almost 2 years, I never once asked a customer to buy me some food off the menu. Why should it be different when you’re driving them and they are already paying you to drive them?

Perhaps instead of depending completely on making money from Uber and Lyft, they should also get a regular day job. I work a day job for my primary income and only drive Uber for some extra income. It’s better that way so you can get some work experience and have the potential to work your way up which is something you can’t do as an Uber or Lyft driver.

What’s fuuny is the hypocrisy of the delivery drivers, the customers are entitled!?! No, unfortunately you, the driver who is complaining about having to do your job is the one behaving “entitled”.
Rule is simple, you want a tip bring it to the door, if I have to do the tail end of your job for you then you get no tip. See, I don’t get paid by uber or whoever, so if I have to do part of your job because you’re too lazy to live up to your end of our transaction, then I’ll take my pay in the form of your tip. If you don’t like it, get another job.

I love that reply of yours. It sums it up perfectly. Why should Uber drivers expect all of this when they are already being paid and the customer is already being charged? I only do Uber as a side job, I have a day job, well, really night job I work at a Casino and I don’t just expect tips. They come if the service was good.

Anyone who drives Uber or Lyft, do your job better and then you can get more tips. Don’t do it good enough, you don’t. And if you don’t like it, work elsewhere. If you are incapable of working a real day job and have to work Uber or Lyft, then do a better job or else work a normal job.

LOL. You see, that’s the thing. Customers pay all that money to Uber and the restaurants. The drivers are paid out from Uber and Uber decides how much to pay out, which is low. So you’re not paying the driver to have it delivered to your front door. You’re paying Uber. The drivers see that driving to the location (unpaid), waiting for the food to finish being prepared (unpaid) and then driving it to your location (paid, finally) as more than enough work for the low payout from Uber. Drivers look at any extra work as tip-worthy and since 99% of drivers know UberEATS customers DON’T TIP due to the encouragement from Uber, drivers are extremely reluctant to do extra. That “policy” is Uber’s policy. Drivers are categorized as “independent contractors,” therefore, they are NOT employed by Uber. So do customers honestly think that “policy” applies to drivers? If you do, then I wish you well in the future! Oh, and if you REALLY think TIPS aren’t expected, then your intelligence level must be low.